Florida: animal care in parks—who are you going to call? - NRPA in Action - Brief Article

Parks & Recreation, Dec, 2003

* "There's an iguana eating my salad!"

* "A funny-looking raccoon is acting very strangely down by those picnic tables."

* "Are pigs supposed to be wandering in the campground?"

These are some examples of questions and phone calls that surface daily in the Broward County (Fla.) Parks and Recreation Division's parks and offices. Dispatched sometimes by phone, but usually in person (no matter the hour), is the parks animal care specialist, who brings knowledge, experience and a caring demeanor for all patrons with any number of legs or wings.

The need for a staff member specifically assigned to the Parks and Recreation Division was gradually realized with the growth in population and recreational opportunities in Broward County. The usual animal care and rescue organizations were understandably busy with their duties in the rest of the county and, while they tried, were often unable to respond to every situation as quickly as needed. The mix of humans and other living species in the parks was becoming more frequently volatile. Incidents of loose animals, abandoned animals, animal bites, exotic species and damage by animals, among other things, increasingly were harder to handle without a specifically assigned staff member. In November 2000, the animal care specialist position was created to serve these situations, which are many times overlooked until the "crisis" occurs.

For more information on the parks animal care specialist position, see www.broward.org/parks/pets.htm.>

COPYRIGHT 2003 National Recreation and Park Association

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